Animal welfare seal: how the inspection works
Now that you know the animal welfare seal guarantees that your farm, ranch, or company respects animals, it’s time to understand how the inspection process works.
The first step to obtaining the Certified Humane animal welfare seal is to familiarize yourself with the best practices that should be followed on your property by analyzing the specific standards for the species you wish to certify.
This will help you identify any changes or adaptations needed for your operation to be certified. For more information about certification in Asia, visit Certified Humane Asia.
The primary goal of the certification program, through the animal welfare seal, is to ensure that animals are raised free from physical, psychological, or environmental discomfort.
Each species has its own specific needs, and it is important to adapt handling practices to ensure animal welfare according to these requirements. Learn about the standards for your species here.
Initial assessment
Those interested in obtaining the animal welfare seal must first submit an initial request. At this stage, the producer completes a detailed questionnaire about the operation (farm, ranch, or company).
The questions cover topics such as the number of animals, infrastructure of aviaries, pens, paddocks, or stables, as well as the resources used in all stages of production, from rearing to slaughter.
After submitting the questionnaire, Certified Humane technicians conduct an initial assessment.
Based on this assessment, they may approve the continuation of the certification process or return the questionnaire, pointing out non-compliances that need to be corrected to meet animal welfare standards.
On-site audit
Once the questionnaire is validated, Certified Humane sends the applicant a budget for inspection and request services.
Upon approval of this budget, an inspector is assigned to visit the property and verify all aspects of the operation for which the animal welfare seal was requested.
The purpose of inspections is to ensure that good animal husbandry practices are being applied and that the ingredients used in products labeled with the Certified Humane seal are traceable.
The entire inspection process, from the initial request, is usually completed within 30 days. If everything is in order, the technicians’ evaluation is positive, allowing producers or companies to use the animal welfare seal on their products.
However, it is common for non-compliances to be identified during audits. In such cases, the producer must correct them and submit evidence for evaluation. If the number of non-compliances is too high, a new inspection may be required.
Group certification for producers in Asia
For integrated producers or cooperatives organized into a larger group, there is the option of group certification.
This model enables the certification of several producers at once but requires the implementation of an Internal Control System (ICS), which ensures that all group members continuously meet animal welfare requirements.
The ICS is managed by the integrating company or cooperative and must include annual animal welfare audits for all group participants.
During the annual inspection conducted by Certified Humane, the inspector will assess the effectiveness of the ICS and audit a sample of the group (at least 10% of the members) to ensure that animal welfare standards are being followed. Each year, this sample of producers is changed, providing continuous and comprehensive evaluation.
Group certification is an excellent option for producers in Asia who want to ensure that all members of their supply chain meet the highest standards of animal welfare.
For more details on how to implement this system, visit Certified Humane Asia.
Published on September 6, 2024
